Through crime and crusade, our labor it's been stolen

[sovay]

Because Hanscom hasn't held an air show in years, I have no idea what the hell passed over my parents' yard behind the unrelieved overcast except that it sounded like a heavy bomber, but not a modern one: an air-shaking piston-engined roar like who ordered the Flying Fortress, which were not to my knowledge even tested at the base. It suggested lost psychogeography and worried me.

Japanese Breakfast's "Picture Window" (2025) came around again on WERS as I was driving this afternoon. The line about ghosts and home keeps resonating beyond the pedal steel guitar.

I see we will be celebrating the Fourth of July out of spite this year. So go other holidays. Af tselokhes, John.

Comments

[gullyfoyle]

It suggested lost psychogeography and worried me.

Sounds like someone's in a Ballardian mood, but who isn't?

[sovay]

Sounds like someone's in a Ballardian mood, but who isn't?

Often.

[gullyfoyle]

Thanks for the link; I quite liked that. But I felt more of Fritz Leiber in your story of a (mostly) living city than of ol' J. G. (That's okay by me, as I prefer Fritz, and I hope that's okay by you too.) By total coincidence earlier today I finished reading the story "Tom Kelley's Ghost" (Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction July 2001 (I'm catching up)) by Steven Popkes whom I take must be a neighbor of sorts of yours since he founded and remains in the Cambridge SF Workshop. That story takes place in, under, and near Boston, and I think you might enjoy it. All this Bostonia helps make up a bit for my having to miss Readercon this year.

[sovay]

Thanks for the link; I quite liked that. But I felt more of Fritz Leiber in your story of a (mostly) living city than of ol' J. G. (That's okay by me, as I prefer Fritz, and I hope that's okay by you too.)

It's fine by me: I read Leiber before Ballard, although I hadn't read any recently when I wrote that story. I put most of my feelings about Boston as a city of water into it. I'm glad you liked it!

By total coincidence earlier today I finished reading the story "Tom Kelley's Ghost" (Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction July 2001 (I'm catching up)) by Steven Popkes whom I take must be a neighbor of sorts of yours since he founded and remains in the Cambridge SF Workshop.

We've shared panels at Arisia and I was actually invited into the workshop in 2020, although my health prevented! I'll look for the story. I do not believe I read that issue.

That story takes place in, under, and near Boston, and I think you might enjoy it. All this Bostonia helps make up a bit for my having to miss Readercon this year.

I shall try to think of other supplements. Most of the Boston-set movies I know best are not contemporary.